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‘No easy solution’ to stopping Camlough Road stone throwers

A FRESH appeal to stop people throwing stones at passing traffic on the Camlough Road in Newry has been issued by the PSNI.

Over the past number of years cars, buses and lorries have all been damaged by stone throwers and despite numerous appeals, the perpetrators still haven't got the message.

Only last year there was yet another warning that if the people carrying out these attacks continue, someone will be killed.

However, on Saturday, January 27, a group of approximately 10 youths took no heed of previous warnings and caused damage to a vehicle, which was struck by a stone that one of this group threw.

A spokesperson for the PSNI said: "As most people living in Newry are aware, there is an ongoing issue with anti-social behaviour in and around the Camlough Road area with youths throwing stones at passing vehicles.

"We all know this is extremely dangerous and if it doesn't stop someone will end up getting badly hurt.

"If anyone has the names of these youths please call police on 101 and let us know. Constable McBratney is investigating this latest incident. Police reference is 1072 of 27/1/18.

"Alternatively you can phone crime stoppers on 0800555111."

Newry Councillor Gary Stokes said that unfortunately "there is no easy solution" to try and get the stone throwers to stop.

"There is a policing element to it but also a community element with it to see if maybe we can train ourselves as councillors or local community groups," said the SDLP councillor.

"We need to see if there is any way to talk to the people involved. That's something the Community Safety Partnership could get involved in.

"There's no easy answer as to how to stop this. The police can only do so much because it's the sort of thing where they turn up and the people doing this run away and when the police leave it starts all over again. The solution could be within the community itself.

"Parents have a role themselves but unfortunately if there was an answer it would have been sorted out by now."